Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-23
THE CLOTHING FOUND
TURTHER FACTS ABOUT THE DARBY.
ToWN.R0AD MYSTERY.
Desd Body Theory Exploded Where Did
the Clothing Found Come
Prom

Further investigation of what may
be called the Darbytown-road mystery
was made by reporter of this paper
yesterday in order to follow Sunday
article on the subject with some addi-
tional facts. In this he succeeded as
will be seen but all the circum
stances except the woman's statements
published seemed to recede from the
i ca that dead body had been discov-
cred in the woods below Richmond.
This "short and stout man." as one OF
the women described him, this "tOo,
too, solid flesh, resolves itself into a
dew"
1t had been intended by Sheriff
Southward, of Hcnrico, to drag Roper's
pond Sunday to look for the body
which was said TO have been dragged
through the bushes and thrown into it,
but this cphcmeral belief was laid aside
as unworthy of credence and so the
pond was not dragged.
MIR. BARTHOLOMEW INTERVIEWED.
Continuing down the DarbytOTn
road for about four miles from the Ma
tional cemetery the reporter reached
Mr.. Albert Bartholomew house, where
be wos kindly greeted. Mr.. Bartholo-
NOW is young man, and for the past
four OF five years has lived in Brooklyn.
About the middle Of July he returned
to Virginia on a visit to his father.
Soon after his arrival, he says, he came
mp to Richmond with a load Of hay.
After dispOsing Of it he went TO the ex-
press office for barrel which contained
some clothing he had ordered to be
Slipped him from Brooklyn. On his
way home with the barrel he noticed
that the head OF it had been broken and
he knocked it out and ran in his hand,
pulling out two old secrsucker coats,
which he threw out on the roadside.
He next struck two old Derby hats,
which be made follow the coats. " These
WCrc he OHU things / Mrcr array, y
said Mr.. Bartholomew, "and these
were thrown on the hill near where the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad crosses. -
Mr.. bartholomew says further that
after that Mr.. Kirtley asked him if he
bad lost the coats. and he told him
yes. and that Kirtlcy then handed him
some letters addressed to him from
Brooklyn by a young lady, which he
had accidently left in the coat-pockots.
lie had also thrown away a couple Of
photopraphs-one Of himself and one
Of n iiiend in Brooklyn.
What was your object in throwing
away the clothes ,"
10 get rid of them. They were
old and Of no use to me, sad Mr.. Bar
tholomcw, looking the reporter honest
" in the face. "If ! had Thought my
old clothes would cause somuch excite
meut 1 would have brought them
home"
"And YOU only threwaway two coats
and two hais Z?
"Only two coats and two hats.
MIR. r. j. RIRTLEY.
Farmer r. j. Kirtlcy, who lives amile
and a quarter nearer town, was next
seen. lie had seen the things found on
he road. On one side had been picked
up several bottles of perfume and tooth
powder n head-brusb, showing slight
use, for il had few hairs in it ; small
round mirror ; and two tin types, both
representing young men mounted on
mules, one Oft fthcmcn being Mr. Bartho-
lomcw. On the other side Of the road
in another pile were gathered toge,hcr
two sccrsuckcr coats, four pairs socks,
five hats -four Derby and one straw.
several cuffs and collars, one pair rub
bors, one pair low-quartcr shoes, nearly
now; three mems scarfs, slightly worn
one ladys slipper, one fine r-d hand
kcrchief.
IN one pocket of the coat WAS the iyt-
ter addressed t. Mr. Bartholomew,
which was returned to him. \ few
days before these things were found Il
colorcd man named Henry, who had
been employed by William Randolph
to dig an icc-house for Mr.. kirtl-y,
found i'll the road one lady's glove,
slightly worn, a lady's ulster, and an
auto9raph-alhum. In the latter Were
written three pieces. each dated Hroct-
I'm and signed Beattie.'
"Where are these goods now?' Mr..
Kiitlty was asked.
"Ihc negro Henry has them. /
hear he has sold some of them.
THE BODY.
Now, as far as the women's state
ments are concerned in this matter, it
is supposed they are mistaken about
seeing a dead body il the woods.
Neither of them saw the mans face, and
sand he was short and stout, had his one
head tucked under his shoulder. and
his legs drawn up beneath him. So 1t
is more than probable they saw lot Of
bundled up III way that re-
,emblod a body, and ran frightened
away without investigating. When
they looked for the body again it was
gone-somebody had taken the clothes
away.
THE BARREL.
Sheriff Southward has written to
mquiring about the barre!
MIR. Bartholomew clothes came in.